Weighted Deformable Cleaning Device

ABSTRACT

The weighted deformable cleaning device deforms to pass through narrow openings of a container, such as a bottle. The added mass from the weighted sack allows for increased frictional cleaning forces when the container is agitated, thereby increasing the cleaning efficiency of the device.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to the United States Provisional Patent Application for “Weighted Deformable Cleaning Device”, Application No. 62/849,266 filed on May 17, 2019.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various narrow opening containers are in wide use, including but not limited to baby bottles, vases, pitchers, decanters, vacuum flasks, water bottles, etc., which are often very difficult to clean. Such narrow opening containers often have openings that are too small to allow a user to pass his or her hand through the opening in order to access the interior volume. Conventional sponges rarely are adequate to accomplish the cleaning of the interior volume because once passed through the narrow opening, they cannot be adequately accessed by the user to ensure that the internal surfaces are cleaned with an adequate cleaning force to ensure the removal of bio films, food/beverage materials, or other contaminants. Long handled cleaning devices, often formed with a deformable cloth, sponge or wire brush tip, provide the user some additional control, but still fail to provide access in hard to reach areas of the narrow opening container, and in particular larger containers, the dimensions of which can exceed the length of the handle of the cleaning device. Additionally, the various custom cleaning devices have no utility apart from cleaning the particular geometry for which the device was designed. While a user can purchase numerous cleaning devices of different lengths and configurations to address the variety of shapes and sizes of narrow opening containers, such a solution is impractical, expensive and leads to unwanted household clutter.

As a result, there is a need in the art for a universal cleaning device that is adaptable to access the various sizes and shapes of narrow opening containers. Such a device would also be useful for cleaning other surfaces, including surfaces having complex shapes. There is a further need for a universal cleaning device which is relatively inexpensive. In addition, there is need for a universal cleaning device which allows for application of sufficient cleaning force without a user directly contacting the cleaning device during use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a weighted deformable cleaning device. The weighted deformable cleaning device has an exterior sack formed with an abrasive material on the surface with an opening providing access to an interior volume. A weighted sack is housed within the interior volume accessible through an aperture in the exterior sack. The aperture is sealable with a fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener.

The exterior sack preferably has a retrieval loop to enable a user to retrieve the weighted deformable cleaning device by hand or by using a simple tool, such as long hooked wire. The retrieval loop may optionally be formed with an abrasive material on the surface.

The weighted sack itself is partially filled with a bead composition. The bead composition provides the weight necessary to ensure that the weighted deformable cleaning device imparts sufficient cleaning force to the interior of a narrow opening container when the container is swirled by a user with the weighted deformable cleaning device located within the interior of the narrow opening container. The bead composition further enables the weighted sack to be sufficiently deformable to allow for the entrance of the deformable cleaning device past the narrow opening of a container.

In one embodiment, the bead composition is a blend of weighted beads and cushion beads. Preferably, the weighted beads are larger in size than the cushion beads and are spherical in shape. The weighted beads are made of a nonreactive heavy material such as stainless steel. Alternatively, heavy reactive materials such as iron, steel, or copper may be used for the weighted beads provided that such reactive materials have a nonreactive coating, such as a ceramic coating.

The cushion beads are preferably smaller in dimension than the weighted beads, but are provided in a larger quantity. The cushion beads are made of a lightweight nonreactive material, such as high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polystyrene, or other such material provided the selected lightweight material does not contain bisphenol-A (BPA). The shape of the cushion beads is not important, nor do the dimensions of the cushion beads need be uniform. However, it is preferred that the surface of the cushion beads is smooth.

During use, the cushion beads surround the weighted beads and act as a cushion precluding the impart of a point load from a weighted bead to the interior surface of the narrow opening container, which are often made from fragile materials such as glass, crystal or materials that can be easily dented, such as thin walled stainless steel.

In use, a user first inserts the weighted sack into the interior volume of the exterior sack of the weighted deformable cleaning device, through the exterior aperture. The exterior aperture is then sealed with a fastener. The weighted deformable cleaning device is then sufficiently deformed from a non-deformed cross-section area to a deformed cross-section area so as to fit through the narrow opening of a container. The container is then optionally partially filled with a cleaning solution. Next the container is swirled by user so as to generate an angular velocity of the weighted deformable cleaning device with respect to the interior surface of the container. As the angular velocity builds, the weight provided by the weighted beads imparts a radial force which acts on the interior surface of the container. The radial force is sufficient to ensure that the textured surface of the exterior sack of the weighted deformable cleaning device acts on the interior surface of the container with sufficient force to clean the interior surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exterior sack of a weighted deformable cleaning device in the open position with an aperture opening to an interior volume and an abrasive material on the exterior surface;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a weighted sack of the weighted deformable cleaning device which is sized to fit within the interior volume of the exterior sack shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the exterior sack shown in FIG. 1 of the weighted deformable cleaning device in the closed position with the aperture opening sealed shut by a fastener;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the weighted deformable cleaning device taken along the lines 4-4 shown in FIG. 3 and depicting the weighted sack housed within the interior volume of the exterior sack and housing a bead composition;

FIG. 5a is a front perspective view of a narrow opening container shown in dashed lines with the weighted deformable cleaning device deforming to fit in the narrow opening of the narrow opening container;

FIG. 5b is a front perspective view of the narrow opening container shown in FIG. 5a with the weighted deformable cleaning device resting within the bottom interior surface of the interior volume of the narrow opening container and ready for use;

FIG. 5c is a front perspective view of the narrow opening container shown in FIG. 5a with the narrow opening container in a state of motion in order to agitate the weighted deformable cleaning device sufficiently such that the weighted deformable cleaning device moves along an interior surface of the narrow opening container;

FIG. 5d is a front perspective view of the narrow opening container shown in FIG. 5a with a retrieval tool passed through the opening of the narrow opening container;

FIG. 5e is a front perspective view of the narrow opening container shown in FIG. 5a with a hook on the retrieval tool passed through the retrieval loop of the weighted deformable cleaning device;

FIG. 5f is a front perspective view of the narrow opening container shown in FIG. 5a with the weighted deformable cleaning device removed from the narrow opening container;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the exterior sack of the weighted deformable cleaning device with a long fiber abrasive surface; and

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the weighted sack of the weighted deformable cleaning device, the weighted sack itself having a multi-channeled surface with smooth surfaces at the trough of the channel and abrasive surfaces at the ridge surfaces of the channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a top perspective view of an embodiment of an exterior sack 20 of a weighted deformable cleaning device 10 (shown in FIG. 3) is shown in an open position. FIG. 1 shows the exterior sack 20 formed with an abrasive surface 22 along its entire exterior surface and an opening 24 to an interior volume 25. The exterior sack 20 may be formed with any material that is easily deformable, such as cloth, polyester, polyurethane, or vegetal cellulose. The abrasive surface 22 may be made of any number of materials, including polymer-based materials, stainless steel, or synthetic resins. The abrasive surface 22 is shown in FIG. 1 as a fiber configuration, but the invention herein contemplates all known structural configurations of abrasive cleaning surfaces commonly used in the cleaning industry, such as a porous material, or woven material. The abrasive surface 22 must be configured, however, to ensure that the exterior sack 20 remains deformable such that the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 may be sufficiently deformed to fit in the narrow opening of a container and deform to fit the interior surface geometry of the container when in use. The exterior sack 20 is also formed with a retrieval loop 26 to facilitate the removal of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 from a container utilizing a utensil, such as a long wire equipped with a hooked end. In addition, the exterior sack 20 is formed with a fastener 28 adjacent the opening 24 to enable the exterior sack 20 to be sealed closed for use. In the embodiment, the fastener 28 is a hook and loop type, but it is contemplated that the fastener 28 may be a snap fastener, a zipper, buttons, ties, or any similar type.

Referring next to FIG. 2, a top perspective view of a weighted sack 30 is generally shown with a geometric configuration to enable the weighted sack 30 to deformably fit within the opening 24 of the exterior sack 20 (shown in FIG. 1) and to generally occupy the interior volume 25 of the exterior sack 20 once disposed within. The purpose of the weighted sack 30 is to provide sufficient mass to the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 such that the device 10 will impart sufficient cleaning force on the interior surface of a container by simply moving, shaking, and swirling the container sufficiently to cause movement of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 within the container.

Turning to FIG. 3, a top perspective view of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 is shown in a closed position with the opening 24 sealed shut by fastener 28. The present invention contemplates numerous different shapes and sizes available for the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 depending on the particular application. Preferably, the exterior sack 20 is disposable and the weighted sack 30 is reusable with multiple exterior sacks 20.

Referring next to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 shown in FIG. 3 along the lines 4-4 is shown with the weighted sack 30 disposed within the interior volume 25 of the exterior sack 20. The weighted sack 30 has an interior volume 38 that houses a bead composition 32 made up of weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36. In the embodiment, the bead composition 32 does not fully occupy the entire interior volume 38 of the weighted sack 30. The non-occupied space of the interior volume 38 allows the bead composition 32 to freely move about within the weighted sack 30 enabling the deformation of the sack 30 when required. It is contemplated that the bead composition 32 may occupy the entirety of the interior volume 38 of the weighted sack 30 and that the weighted sack 30 may stretch and deform temporarily into the desired shape. The weighted sack 30 may also be equipped with an opening to allow for the addition or removal of weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36. However, it is preferable to have a preselected blend of weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36 sealed within the weighted sack 30.

Although numerous geometries of the weighted beads 34 are contemplated by the invention, it is preferred that the weighted beads 34 be spherical in shape. Since the weighted sack 30 is reusable and likely to be used in an aqueous environment, it is preferable that the weighted beads 34 be made of a nonreactive heavy material, such as stainless steel. Ceramic materials or ceramic coated materials may also be used for the weighted beads 34.

The cushion beads 36 are a key aspect of the invention because the weighted beads 34 alone are likely to cause damage to the containers which are intended to be cleaned by the weighted deformable cleaning device 10. A purpose of the present invention is to allow a user to vigorously shake and swirl a container to cause movement of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 within. Larger diameter heavy spherical weighted beads 34, unless cushioned, will impart a point load on the interior surface of the container since the deformable exterior sack 20 is insufficient to cushion the weighted beads 34.

The cushion beads 36 are smaller in size than the weighted beads 34, preferably between 0.125 to 0.5 times the size of the weighted beads 34. The structure of the cushion beads 36 may be spherical, cylindrical, ellipsoid, torus or any other number of configurations. It is preferred that the cushion beads 36 do not have sharp edges and have a generally smooth surface. Each cushion bead 36 does not need to be uniform in size or structure with the other cushion beads 36. However, the number of cushion beads 36 disposed within the weighted sack 30 must be greater than the number of weighted beads 34. It is preferable that the volumetric weight of the cushion beads 36 exceed the volumetric weight of the weighted beads 34 in the bead composition 32. It is further preferred that the volumetric weight of the cushion beads 36 exceed the volumetric weight of the weighted beads 34 by a ratio of 2:1.

The size and weight of the weighted beads 34 and the cushion beads 36 will vary depending on the interior surface geometry to be cleaned. For containers with an irregular interior surface geometry, it is beneficial to use smaller weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36 for the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 to more easily deform to the irregular interior surface geometry being cleaned. For containers with a smooth surface, it is beneficial to use larger weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36 for the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 since it does not need to deform to an irregular surface geometry to clean. The weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36 may be as small as a sand grain or be as large as possible while still enabling the deformation of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 to fit within the narrow opening and to adapt to the interior surface geometry of the container to be cleaned.

The cushion beads 36 are preferably made with a nonreactive material such as high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polystyrene, or other similar light weight material. It is preferred that that the cushion beads 36 not contain bisphenol-A (BPA).

Referring next to FIGS. 5a through 5c , a method of use of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 is shown. To practice the method of use of the present invention, first a user places the weighted sack 30 into the exterior sack 20 and the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 (as shown in FIG. 3) is ready for use. Next, as shown in FIG. 5a , a narrow opening container 40 is provided with a narrow passage 42 which the user desires to clean using the weighted deformable cleaning device 10. The user next positions the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 at the top of an opening 44 of the narrow passage 42 of the container 40. Downward force 50 is provided by a user in combination with deformable force 52 to deform the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 from a non-deformed cross-section area (see FIG. 4) to a deformed cross-section area equal to the cross-section area of the narrow passage 42 of the container 40 and to push the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 past the narrow passage 42 of the container 40 and into the interior volume 46 of the container 40. The provision of the bead composition 32 and interior volume 38 allows for the deformation of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 sufficient to pass the device 10 through the narrow portion 42 of the container 40.

Next, as show in FIG. 5b , the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 rests on an interior surface 48 of the container 40 and ready for use. FIG. 5c shows the deformable cleaning device 10 in use. The user swirls the container 40 in a swirl direction 54 such that the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 begins to move within the interior volume 46 of the container 40 until it begins sliding on the interior surface 48 of the container 40 thereby having an angular velocity with respect to the interior surface 48 of the container 40. As the swirling motion continues, the angular velocity of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 increases. The weight imparted to the device 10 by the weighted beads 34 and cushion beads 36 increases the angular force imparted on the interior surface 48 of the container 40, thereby increasing the frictional force imparted on the interior surface 48 and as a result, increasing the cleaning effectiveness of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10. The weight increase of the angular force imparted on the interior surface 48 of the container 40 also deforms the weighted cleaning device 10 to the geometry of the interior surface 48, thereby also increasing the cleaning effectiveness of the weighted deformable cleaning device 10.

Upon completion of the cleaning, as shown in FIG. 5d through 5f , a retrieval tool 15 fitted with a hook 16 is inserted into the opening 44 of the container 40 and passed through and around the retrieval loop 26 of the exterior sack 20. Once so positioned, the user simply removes the retrieval tool 15 from the container 40, which in turn, pulls the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 through the narrow passage 42 and out the opening 44 of the container 40. It is contemplated that a string tied to the retrieval loop 26 of the exterior sack 20 before inserting the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 into the container 40 may be used to retrieve the weighted deformable cleaning device 10 once cleaning is complete.

Referring next to FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and is generally designated a weighted deformable cleaning device 60. The weighted deformable cleaning device 60 is shown with a decorated outer sack 62 having a decorative finish 64 to make the device 60 more aesthetically pleasing. The device 60 is further formed with a chiseled edge 68 which may be formed with stitching, resin, or hardened polymer in order to provide a scraping effect when in use.

Referring next to FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment of the weighted sack of the present invention is shown and is generally designated as a decorated weighted sack 70. The decorated weighted sack 70 is intended for use without an outer sack 20 and is formed with a multi-channeled surface 72. The multi-channeled surface 72 has a smooth surface at the troughs 74 of the multi-channeled surface 72 and abrasive surfaces at the ridges 76 of the multi-channeled surface 72. In addition to providing the requisite abrasive surface necessary for cleaning, the multi-channeled surface 72 also provides a decorative effect. Although the channeled surface 72 is shown in straight lines, the invention is not limited to any particular pattern provided by the channeled surface 72 as many other decorative features could be created with combinations of straight and curved channels with corresponding straight and curved troughs and ridges.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).

While there have been shown what are presently considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited as except by the appended claims. 

1. A weighted deformable cleaning device comprising: a deformable exterior sac having an interior volume; a deformable weighted sac removably inserted into said interior volume of said deformable exterior sac; wherein said deformable exterior sac and said deformable weighted sac have a non-deformed cross-section area and are configured to deform to fit through an opening smaller than said non-deformed cross-section area; and wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises a textured surface.
 2. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 1, wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises an opening to said interior volume.
 3. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 2, wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises a fastener configured to seal said opening.
 4. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 3, wherein said deformable weighted sac comprises a bead composition within an interior volume of said deformable weighted sac.
 5. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 4, wherein said bead composition comprises a plurality of weighted beads and a plurality of cushion beads.
 6. A weighted deformable cleaning device comprising: a deformable exterior sac having an interior volume; a deformable weighted sac having an interior volume filled with a plurality of weighted beads and a plurality of cushion beads, said deformable weighted sac removably inserted into said interior volume of said deformable exterior sac.
 7. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 6, wherein said plurality of cushion beads are each between 0.125 to 0.5 times smaller than said plurality of weighted beads.
 8. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 6, wherein said plurality of cushion beads has a cushion bead quantity and said plurality of weighted beads has a weighted bead quantity wherein said cushion bead quantity exceeds said weighted bead quantity in said deformable weighted sac.
 9. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 6, wherein a volumetric weight of said plurality of cushion beads exceed a volumetric weight of said plurality of weighted beads.
 10. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 6, wherein a volumetric weight of said plurality of cushion beads exceed a volumetric weight of said plurality of weighted beads by a ratio of 2:1.
 11. A weighted deformable cleaning device comprising: a deformable exterior sac having an interior volume; a deformable weighted sac having a bead composition removably inserted into said interior volume of said deformable exterior sac; wherein said deformable exterior sac and said deformable weighted sac each have a non-deformed cross-section area and are each configured to deform to fit through an opening smaller than said non-deformed cross-section areas; and wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises a textured surface.
 12. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 11, wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises an aperture to said interior surface.
 13. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 12, wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises a fastener configured to close said aperture.
 14. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 13, wherein said deformable exterior sac further comprises a retrieval loop.
 15. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 14, wherein said textured surface of said deformable exterior sac is an abrasive surface.
 16. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 15, wherein said bead composition comprises a plurality of weighted beads and a plurality of cushion beads.
 17. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 16, wherein said cushion beads are between 0.125 to 0.5 times smaller than said weighted beads.
 18. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 17, wherein said plurality of cushion beads has a cushion bead quantity and said plurality of weighted beads has a weighted bead quantity wherein said cushion bead quantity exceeds said weighted bead quantity in said deformable weighted sac.
 19. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 18, wherein a volumetric weight of said plurality of cushion beads exceed a volumetric weight of said plurality of weighted beads.
 20. The weighted deformable cleaning device of claim 19, wherein a volumetric weight of said cushion beads exceed a volumetric weight of said weighted beads by a ratio of 2:1. 